Steeplechasing has been part of the Olympic programme for over 100 years. In the early days there were two distances and Britain won medals on a regular basis. In the 1950s and 1960s John Disley, Chris Brasher and Maurice Herriott all won Olympic medals and in the 1980s, Colin Reitz and Mark Rowland gained medals at the World Championships and Olympic Games respectively. Recently, things have been a little sparse for Britain but the event still retains its romance despite the abuse it receives in regional league meetings.

Victoria Park Harriers' steeplechase coach Richard Newbold on the final run in at Southend 1995 - a perfect example of how not to relax. Note, also, the drift into lane 2!